Abstract

The disruption of massive stars, resulting from an explosion deep in
their cores, is the most likely cause of Type II supernovae. Van Riper
and Lattimer (1981) have studied the collapse of the core of a 15 solar
masses star. At several times nuclear density the pressure is large
enough to halt the implosion, and the homologous core 'bounces' and then
rebounds slightly as it settles into hydrostatic equilibrium. A shock
wave develops at the boundary between the stationary or expanding inner
core and the infalling outer core. The current investigation is mainly
concerned with the bounce and the propagation of the shock, continuing
the evolution of the models described by Van Riper and Lattimer a few
milliseconds further. It is found that the shock wave initially moves
outward, but is weakened and 'fizzles' after it reaches densities where
neutrinos, which are copiously produced by electron captures in the hot,
dissociated shocked matter, can escape freely from behind the shock.

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